Find out why Miami has become a global city and a favourite second home for
the world’s elite.

The dream doesn’t get much better than a home on Miami Beach. Miami is one of the cleanest cities in the US with its fresh air and, thanks to the Biscayne Aquifer, clean drinking water. It also averages around 250 days of sunshine per year.

Miami is about as far from Disneyland Florida as you can get and is famed for its well-preserved art deco buildings and buzzing nightlife. Its city skyline ranks just behind those of New York and Chicago.

Home to many of the States’ wealthiest inhabitants, Miami is broadly divided into the North, South (home to the historic area), West and Downtown areas.

Daniel De La Vega is a broker and managing partner at ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. He says: “The lifestyle here is a real mix with something for everyone – from trendy hot spots, world-class beaches and outdoor life to international art fairs, performing arts and districts.”

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In terms of up-and-coming areas, Wynwood, the Design District and Downtown Miami along Biscayne Boulevard are “super hot and only becoming hotter each day,” says De La Vega.

Sheer luxury: you can find the home of your dreams in Miami

“The Design District is becoming the new Rodeo Drive for fashion and home design, while Wynwood has one of the largest – if not largest – outdoor mural collections by world-renowned street artists.”

But for those who like the quieter life, somewhere like the planned community of Coral Gables offers more understated elegance. You could max out on a six-bedroom Old World estate with 1.8 acres in Coral Gables (known to the natives as “The Gables”) for £22 million.

The Gables is known for its fine restaurants (some of the best in the world), its coral rock quarry pool and golf, and is also sometimes referred to as “the City Beautiful” (no further explanation required).

It’s not cheap but you can get a basic four-bedroom family home for around £1.2 million and still have access to some of the city’s best schools and finest Spanish architecture.

“Miami was one of the first hit in the country during the recession, and one of the hardest hit,” says De La Vega.

However, he points out that the city has experienced one of the best and strongest recoveries.

“As Miami has become a global city and a favourite second home, investment and destination location for the world's elite, it has recovered better and faster than we would have ever expected. There has been an influx of luxury buyers creating a stable and solid foundation for new growth.”

The state of Florida has no restrictions on foreign ownership and there is no personal income tax (though there is a 10 per cent withholding tax on foreign-owned property), making it a popular destination for expats.

Most people who move to the city want to head to Miami Beach and Key Biscayne. Miami Beach comprises a clutch of exclusive islands (including the celebrity favourites Star, Palm and Hibiscus), bordered by the Atlantic and Biscayne Bay, with its iconic art deco buildings.

Around £1.2 million can currently buy a one-bedroom oceanfront condominium in the exclusive W South Beach residence with private owner’s beach club, pool and cabanas.

Six miles from the mainland and south of Miami Beach, Key Biscayne boasts endless water views from oceanfront condos.

Homes here are accessed via the Rickenbacker Causeway and Virginia Key, a favourite of windsurfers. It’s still possible to get a three-bedroom single-family, one-storey home in Key Biscyane for around the £1million mark, but if you want a luxury property here you might need to dig a little deeper.

However, there’s an 18-hole championship golf course and a tennis centre as well as beaches, bike trails and a yacht club, making the impact on your bank account a little easier to bear.